Saudi workers favor government jobs

(MEBG) — Despite the encouragement of the Saudi government for young graduates to enter the private sector rather than the over overcrowded public sector, they still prefer the comfort and security of

(MEBG) — Despite the encouragement of the Saudi government for young graduates to enter the private sector rather than the over overcrowded public sector, they still prefer the comfort and security offered by government jobs.

Hussein bin Omar Al Hazemi, secretary-general of the Labour Council, said in response to Gulf News questions that "we hope for better results as Saudisation in the private sector has only reached 15 percent until last year." The number of Saudi employees in businesses with more than 20 workers has tripled over the past three years.

Saudization is becoming increasingly important and improvement is felt with a rising hiring rate of national employees.

There has been a sharp increase in the unemployment rate, from 12 percent in the early 1990’s to 27 percent towards the end of the decade, which consequently forced Saudis to accept jobs they deigned in the past.

Saudis now exclusively run fruit and vegetable shops, for example, and future replacement of foreign workers in supermarkets, will ensure an additional estimated 150,000 jobs to Saudi workers.

According to official figures, 9.2 of the 20 million Saudi population is in the working age group. The expatriate working force represents 5.5 million workers, who transfer home $27 million each year, money that the Saudi government would rather remained in the country.

The government is left with finding means of encouragement for the younger generation to favor private sector positions rather than already saturated public sector.